


A Place at the Table

by Kazoo_frog



Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: Gen, Hanukkah, One Shot, Post-Canon, Some found family thrown in for flavor, a little bit of GB/Dinah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28074723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazoo_frog/pseuds/Kazoo_frog
Summary: The freights decide hold a Hanukkah party this year. Chaos and wholesomeness ensue.(I meant to post this on the first day but I got a bit distracted so whoops)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	A Place at the Table

**Author's Note:**

> This is my StEx Secret Santa gift for Aggregatesarereallygreat on Tumblr!  
> I'm not Jewish myself, but I did some research to make sure I got the details right. If there's anything I got wrong, please feel free to let me know!  
> This is my first published fic, and it wasn't Beta read, so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> TW// Religious imagery, light swearing.

The freight was holding a Hanukkah party this year. Trains didn't usually celebrate human holidays- they had their own traditions- but Dustin had heard about it from a worker in the yard and thought it sounded really neat. Greaseball didn't celebrate the holiday personally, but CB was going to be there, so Dinah was going to be there, so naturally, he was had to be there as well.

Greaseball strolled towards the door of the freight shed. He was wearing the blue and yellow sweater Dinah knit for him last year, along with his fanciest pair of cargo shorts (despite the fact that it was 22 degrees outside). He wasn't told weather to bring a gift or not, so he brought a bottle of sparkling cider to be safe.

His knock on the door was answered by Dustin.  
"Evening, Greaseball! Glad you could make it!"  
"heya, Dustin. Uhh I wasn't sure if I was supposed to bring something or not so I brought this." He extended the bottle to Dustin.  
"Oh, thank you!" he took the bottle. Greaseball wasn't sure what to do, so he just kinda stood there.  
Dustin smiled awkwardly. "Well come on in then!"

The large shed was lined with strings of white and blue lights, along with gold accents that were clearly Dinah's touches. A metal eight-branched candle holder was framed in a window by the dining table. There were only two candles on it; a white one in the middle and a blue one on the right, neither of witch had been lit.

Greaseball arrived a little late, so everyone was already there. It was less of a crazy-booze party, and more of a sit-down-with-friends-and-have-a-meal kind of party, which he was surprisingly fine with. Pearl, Flat-Top and the Rockies were in the corner playing dreidel and gambling gelt, of which Rocky 2 was clearly winning and poor Flat-Top had just lost. Poppa was nowhere to be seen, but he was probably upstairs or something. Belle and Ashley were lounging in chairs by the fireplace, drinking chai tea and discussing the latest book they'd read. He heard that Krupp and Wrench recently joined their little book club, but the electrics had a run tonight and couldn’t make it.

Electra was never one to miss a party, and Greaseball wasn't sure who else he'd be able to talk to there besides Dinah and maybe CB. After deciding to settle down at the Apollo-Victoria after the races, he hadn't made many pleasantries with the other members of the yard. Did he really belong here with all of them?

Greaseball spotted Dinah in the kitchen with Buffy and Rusty, making all kinds of delicious smelling food.  
He wandered towards the kitchen, when CB suddenly ran out of there, several jelly doughnuts in hand.  
“CB!” Buffy yelled at him. “Those are for everyone!”  
“I’m high on sugar and I fear no god!!!!!!!!!” He taunted.  
His smile quickly faded as Buffy grabbed the spatula she’d been using and started to chase him down with it.

CB noticed Greaseball's existence, and ran up to him and grabbed his arm.  
"GB, help! Buffy's try'na kill meeEeEEEeeeeEeee!"  
Greaseball plucked the caboose from his arm. "You're on your own this time, Ceeb."  
"AAaaaaaAAaaaaH nO bEtraaYaAAAaaaaaLll." CB wailed before scurrying out the shed door.

Buffy momentarily lost track of the thief, and sprinted up to Greaseball. She brandished her spatula as if it were a sharper, much cooler knife. "WHERE'D THE LITTLE RAT TWINK GO."  
He pointed to the door.  
"THANK YOU." she huffed before bolting in that direction.

He strolled up to the kitchen. “Hey, Dinah.”  
“Oh, Greaseball, you made it!." she put down her mixing spoon and gave him a hug. "Hey, could you do me a favor and set the table set?” Her smile faded a bit, as if she had just caught a mistake. "Sorry if I sound a bit pushy, I'm just a little stressed out with all the cooking and helping Dustin with the decorations; i-it's just a lot."  
GB gently moved his hand to her cheek. He knew to give her affection when she got anxious like this. "Hey it's okay! I can take care of the table. Just uuuh let me know where the knives and forks and stuff are."  
"They're in that drawer over there." She pointed. "And...thank you." Dinah leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek, before turning her attention back to the soup.

Greaseball smiled dopily as he gathered the silverware and plates. That Dinah really was his soft spot, he thought to himself.  
As he walked out of the kitchen, Buffy passed him, carrying the stolen doughnuts and an absolutely-done-with-CB's-shit expression (and honestly who could blame her).

When he got to the table, Dustin was already there putting down the table cloth.  
“'Ello Greaseball!” he waved.  
“Hi, Dustin.” Greaseball said, not looking up from the plates.  
“So you enjoying the party?”  
“Yeah it’s been great so far.” He paused setting the table to pay attention. “CB kinda stole those doughnuts earlier.”  
“Oh I saw that! Hope he’s ok. Heard Buffy gave 'im a right smack on his head."  
"Oof yeah. He kinda deserved it, though." Greaseball chuckled. "CB's great, but when he gets hyperactive you really gotta watch out.”  
“I hear ya! I’ve none ‘im for a long time, and I can say for certain that-”

“The food’s ready!” Rusty called from the kitchen.

Greaseball looked down at the table. “Oh crap! I didn’t finish with the plates!”  
"Let me help you." Dustin offered as he took half of the stack.  
They worked quickly, with Dustin managing the plates and napkins while gb took care of the forks. they got all 13 places at the table done in no time flat.  
"Uhh thanks, Dustin. You really didn't have to do that."  
A perplexed look fell upon his face. "What do you mean? I was standing right next to you. Don't make scene not to."  
You are too good for this world, Greaseball thought.

Everyone gathered around the table as the three cooks brought out warm dishes of latkes, matzo ball soup, beef brisket, challah bread, and roasted carrots. Dinah sat down next to Greaseball as he tried not to drool all over it.

"Alright now." Poppa's booming voice appeared from the stairs, almost as if on cue. "We are here tonight to celebrate a miracle that happened long ago." He moved to the window where the menorah was placed to have a better stage for his audience. Greaseball was never one to stick around for Poppa's stories, but he was intrigued by this one.  
"In the second century, the city of Jerusalem was taken over by the Greek empire, and the Jewish people's religion was outlawed. The rebellion, known as the Maccabeus, managed to push the Greeks out of their city. But they found that their temple had been vandalized. Worst of all, the temple's menorah had been put out, and there was only enough oil to keep it burning for one day. By some divine stroke of luck, the menorah stayed lit for eight whole days until it's supply could be refueled."  
He puled a lighter out of his pocket. “We light these candles to celebrate that miracle of long ago.” He took the white candle in his hand, and prayed. Greaseball didn’t understand what he was saying, but bowed his head like everyone else to be respectful. Poppa brought the flame to the wick of the candle, then ferried the flame to the blue candle that was still sitting in it’s place on the right.  
Poppa turned back to the trains a the table, who were staring in awe at the flame. He smiled. "Now let's eat!"

Quiet chatter ran as they ate their meal together. Greaseball talked and laughed with the other trains. It was here that he finally felt as if he belonged at the Apollo-Victoria; he had his chair at the table.

As the diner came to a close, the guests said their goodbyes at the door. Greaseball held Dinah's hand as they waved to Dustin.  
"Oh, I almost forgot!" She turned to Dustin. "I wanted to thank you for putting on such an amazing party, so I made you this!" She held out a blue and white gift bag for him that Greaseball didn't even realize she was holding.  
Dustin took the bag and pulled out a blue and silver knit sweater, with the words 'happy Hanukkah!' on the front written in gold.  
"Awww, Dinah! I love it!" He beamed.  
"Try it on!" Dinah said.  
Dustin pulled it over his head. It was a little big, but in a cute oversized way.  
"Oh my Starlight! You are adorable!!!!" She squealed.  
Greaseball had to admit; he looked pretty cute.

"Thank you so much for the gift. Have a nice night, you guys!"  
"You too, Dustin!" Greaseball smiled.

As Greaseball walked Dinah back to the coach shed under the stars, one thought ran through his head; they would definitely have to do this again next year.


End file.
